Automobile license-plate holder and parking indicator



Aug. 26, 1930. H. w. JOHNSON AUTOMOBILE LICENSE PLATE HOLDER AND PARKINGINDICATOR Filed Sept. 10, 1927 WII INVENTOR Z 7l7 .fa/mswa BY ATTORNEY50 the line 44 of Fig. 2. cense plate 26 is of the usual constructionand imed Aug. 26, 1930 1,??4,378

NITEDSTATES PATENT OFFIC' HERBERT w. JOHNSON, or oennnsnone, NEW YORKnu'romonmn LICENSE-PLATE HOLDER AND PARKING mmcn'ron Application filed.September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,823.

This invention relates to an attachment Fig. 5 is a sectional view takenon the line for use on an automobile for holding a li- 5-5 of Fi 4.cense plate and for locking the license plate The device of the presentinvention which in an arbitrary or indicating position, as well is inthe form of an attachment, includes a 5 as for holding the license platein the usual cylindrical casing having formed there- 55 position. withor secured thereto meansin the form One of the objects of the presentinvention of a support or bracket 11 for eflecting the is to provide anelement or plate which is so attachment of the device in its entirety.The mounted on a part of an automobile that it casing 10 has an annularrecess 12 at the 10 may be moved to an arbitrary position to. front, andis formed to provide shoulders 60 serve as a parking signal orindicator, to 13 and 14on the inside of the wall thereof. signify topersons within visual range there- Said shoulders 13 and 14 are spacedsubof, that, if said element or plate is in the stantially 90. The'wallof the casing 10 has arbitrary position and some person is about asurface 15 which is eccentric to the longi 15 to drive the automobileaway, or is actually tudinal-axis of the casing to provide a cam 65driving the automobile away, the attempt to between the shoulders 13 and14. The wall drive the automobile away, or the actual of the casing 10is also cut away as at 16 from driving away of the automobile, is beingdone the shoulder 14 some distance circumferenby an unauthorized person.tially around the inside of the wall. The Another and more specificobject of the casing 10 has arranged at the back thereof 7 invention isthe combination with a license a disk or plate 17 which'closes the backof the plate, of a device which serves as a holder cylinder. Adjacentthe plate 17 the casing is for the license plate for the usual purpose,formed with an annular recess 18 to provide and which includes means forchanging the an annular shoulder 19. The cutaway 16 position of thelicense plate to an arbitrary opens at the opposite ends thereof respec-75 signaling or indicating position, in which tivelyto the recesses 12and 18. the indicia on the license plate willbereadable Arranged forrotary movement in the casand which includes means for locking the ing10 is a cylindrical element 20. The elelicense plate in the signaling orindicating ment 20 may aptly be termed a rotor. The position againstmovement by an unauthorsaid rotor 20 has a circular flange 21 adapted 80ized person for the purpose of forestalling to be received in the recess12 to properly theft of the automobile. locate the rotor and to aid inmounting it for With the foregoing, other objects of the rotary movementin the casing 10. The rotor invention will appear from the embodiment 20has formed on the back thereof a sector of the invention which by way ofexample 22 adapted to be disposed in the recess 18. 85 is described inthe following specification The sector 22 projects beyond the peripheraland illustrated in the accompanying drawedge of the rotor 20 to providea lug 23 adaptings, in whiched to encounter a lug 24 extending radiallyin- Figure 1 is .an elevation of a rear portion ward from the wall ofthe casing 10 in the of an automobile equipped with the present recess18 to limit the movement of the rotor 90 invention, the license platebeing shown in 20 to substantially 90 in a clockwise direcfull lines inthe usually horizontally distion. The rotor 20 is associated with thecasposed position, and in dot and dash lines ing 10 by bringing the lug23 in registration in an arbitrary or indicating position. with thecutaway 16 adjacent the shoulder Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectionalelevation 14 and then by pushing inwardly on the rotor showmg certainfeatures of the invention. to engage the lug 23 with the shoulder 19.Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken The rotor 20 has securedthereto or formed substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. integraltherewith arms 25 with which a Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view takenon license plate 26 is rigidly secured. The lihas imprinted thereon theautomobile license number and other usual indicia such as theabbreviation of the particular State and year.

In order to hold the rotor 20 against unintentional counter-clockwisemovement and the plate 26 in a horizontally disposed position; to permitthe rotor 20 and therefore the plate 26 to be moved or turned clockwise;and to releasably lock the rotor 20 against movement with the plate 26in a vertically disposed position against movement in acounter-clockwise direction, there is provided locking means presentlyto be described. A locking bolt or slide 27 is arranged diametrically ofthe rotor 20 in a recess 28 in the rotor. The end 29 of the bolt 27 ismovable into and out of engagement with the shoulders 13 and 1 1. Thebolt 27 is under the influence of springs 30 which have a normaltendency to urge the bolt 27 radially outward with respect to the rotor20- The bolt 27 has a series of teeth 31. A key operated lock 32 of anypreferred type is arranged in a recess in the rotor 20 and is securelyheld in place. The said lock 32 includes a sector 33 having teeth 34which are adapted to mesh with the teeth 31 of the bolt 27. The lock 32is operated by a key, not shown, so as to impart rotary movement to thesector 33 to retract the bolt 27 from its normal position. When thelicense plate 26 is in the horizontally disposed position, the usualposition, the end 29 of the bolt 27 will be in engagement with theshoulder 13 thereby preventing movement of the rotor 20 and thereforethe plate 26 in a counter-clockwise direction. When it is desired tomove the plate 26 to a vertically disposed position, as shown in dot anddash lines in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to take hold of the plate 26and move it clock wise. This will cause the end 29 of the bolt 27 toride on the cam surface 15 causing the bolt 27 to move radially inward.When the rotor 20 is turned substantially 90, the springs 30automatically function to project the end 29 of the bolt 27 into thecutaway 16. The rotor will now be locked against movement in acounter-clockwise direction because the end 29 of the bolt 27 willencounter the shoulder 14. It will also be apparent that at this timethe lug 23 will be confronted by the lug 24 on the casing to preventmovement of the rotor 20 clockwise any appreciable distance beyond 90".The license plate 26 in the vertically disposed position will be inunusual or arbitrary position to serve as an indicator or signal tosignify to persons within visual range that the automobile has beenparked. When it is desired to move the plate 26 to the horizontallydisposed position it is necessary to insert the key in the lock 32 tooperate the same causing movement of the sector 33, coaction of theteeth 34 and 31 and retraction of the end 29 of the bolt 27 fromengagement with the shoulder 14;. The end 29 of the bolt 27 will beprojected automatically to encounter the shoulder 13.

When it is desired to remove the rotor 20 from the casing 10, the key isinserted in the lock 32 to operate the same to retract the locking bolt27 so that the end 29 will clear the shoulder 13 in the movement of therotor 20 in a counter-clockwise direction. The lug 23 on the rotor 20may then be brought to a point at which it may pass through the cutaway16 for the removal of the rotor 20.

The rotor 20 has connected therewith a hood or shade 35 open at thebottom and having a red lens 36. A lamp 37 is arranged within the shade35 and serves witli the lens 36 as a tail light. The lamp 37 also servesto illuminate the license plate 26 at night.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is combined with thelicense plate 26 a device which is operable for supporting the licenseplate in the usual horizontally disposed po: ition, and to permit thelicense plate to be moved to an arbitrary or vertically disposedposition to signify in accordance with the present invention that theautomobile has been parked; the device including means for locking thelicense plate in the arbitrary position against movement b anunauthorized person to the end that the t of the automobile will beforestalled.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to theprecise arrangement of parts shown and described, as details ofconstruction may be modified and rearranged without departing from thespirit of the invention, the scope of which is limited only by the termsof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. On a vehicle, the combination with a license plate, of means mountingthe license plate for movement from a normal horizontally disposedposition to an arbitrary vertic'ally disposed position to indicate thatthe vehicle has been parked, and means for locking the license plate inthe arbitrary position, the indicia on the license plate being readilyreadable While the license plate is in the arbitrary position.

2. On a vehicle, the combination with a license plate, of means mountingthe plate for movement to change its position from a normal horizontallydisposed position to an arbitrary vertically disposed position toindicate that the vehicle has been parked, locking means automaticallyoperable to lock said plate in the arbitrary position, and separatemeans for unlocking the locking means to release the plate for movementto its normal position, the indicia on the license plate being readilyreadable while the license plate is in the arbitrary position.

3. The combination with a license plate, of a holder to which said plateis rigidly secured, means adapted to be fixedly secured for supportingthe holder for rotatory movement to permit said plate to be moved from ahorizontally disposed position to a vertically disposed position andvice versa, a look ing bolt carried by said holder, yieldable meansacting on said locking bolt to cause it to engage portions of said fixedmeans to prevent rotatory movement of said hoider in a counter-clockwisedirection, and key actuated means operable to retract said locking boltto permit movement of said holder in a counter-clockwise direction.

4. The combination ot a casing adapted to be fixedlyvattached, a rotorarranged in said casing, means on the rotor which coacts with means onthe casing for locking the rotor against movement, and a license platesecured to said rotor exteriorly of the casing so as to behorizontally'disposed when the rotor is in one position, and bevertically disposed to then serve as a parking indicator, when the rotoris in locked position.

5. The combination of a casing adapted to be fixedly attached, a rotorarranged in said casing, key actuated means on the rotor which coactswith means on the casing for looking the rotor against movement, and alicense plate secured to said rotor exteriorly of the casing so as to behorizontaliy disposed when the rotor is in one position, and to bevertically disposed t then serve as a parking indicator, when the rotoris the locked position,

6. The combination of a casing adapted to be fixedly attached, a rotorarranged in said casing, the wall of said casing being cut away on theinside, said rotor having a iug adapted to be brought into registrationwith said cutaway, locking means operable to pre Vent rotatory movementof the rotor to prevent registration of said lug with the out= away,said locking means being operable by separate means to permit rotatorymovement of the rotor to bring about registration of: said lug with thecutaway to permit the removal of the rotor from'the casing, and alicense plate secured to said rotor.

Signed at Ogdenshnr in the county of St, Lawrence and State 0 New Yorkthis 8th day of September, A. D. 1927. I

- HERBERT W. JOHNSON.

